Finding Joy in Everyday Life | Jamie King

What happens when you stop trying to be perfect and start trusting yourself a little more every day?

In this episode of Court-side Conversations, Courtney sits down with one of her closest friends, Jamie King, for an honest conversation about career growth, self-doubt, motherhood, stress, confidence, and finding joy in the middle of real life.

Jamie shares what it looked like to leave a job without a plan, return to a workplace that truly felt like home, navigate leadership in male-dominated industries, and push herself through fears like public speaking.

This conversation is full of practical wisdom, humanity, laughter, and reminders that growth doesn’t always look polished. Sometimes it looks like standing up in meetings just to prove to yourself you can. 💛

In this episode, we talk about:

•  Finding joy in everyday moments 
•  Building confidence over time 
•  Public speaking fears and how to move through them 
•  The power of supportive friendships and community 

If you’ve been searching for a little bit more joy in your life…this one is for you. 

Pull up a chair, grab a drink, and join us Court-side.

About the Podcast

Court-side Conversations is a podcast about leadership, self-trust, and the moments that shape us.

Each episode features a candid conversation with remarkable women about the experiences that helped them trust themselves, navigate challenges, and move forward with confidence and integrity.

Hosted by Courtney Headley, founder of Center Court Collective.

New episodes released every other week. 

Transcript

The moments people don’t see

SPEAKER_00 0:00

I'll come to work every day with a smile on my face and be happy. I'll come home and I'll try to be as happy as I can. You know, and it in the in between that car ride by myself, sometimes I like I'll get to my destination and realize I didn't even have music on or anything. It was just like in in my head or like thinking about things. So, but then sometimes I'm like, dang girl, like you crushed it.

SPEAKER_02 0:25

Hi, and welcome to Courtside Conversations. This episode is for the woman who is looking to find joy in every day. I hope you

Meet Jamie

SPEAKER_02 0:35

enjoy. Today I am joined by one of my bestest friends, Jamie King, jam to me. Jamie is someone I adore for her patience and grace. So, Jamie, thank you so much for joining me. I am so excited to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:55

I've been looking forward to this.

SPEAKER_02 0:57

Can you introduce yourself to our listeners? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

SPEAKER_00 1:01

Yeah. Um, so I'm Jamie King. Um, I am a mom. I am a professional in the workplace. I am a friend. I'm a daughter, and I'm a really good time. Yeah, you are.

SPEAKER_02 1:19

I concur. Jamie, how do you and I know each other?

SPEAKER_00 1:23

We have been friends since college. Yeah. So just a few years ago. Right. We had mutual friends and we came together and we um I think almost immediately became like really close.

SPEAKER_03 1:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:38

And then we've just gotten to know each other more and more on a personal level, but then also having the opportunity to see you in a professional setting as well, um, drew me even closer to you.

SPEAKER_02 1:51

Yeah. I had the opportunity to work with Jamie. I don't know how it feels like forever ago. It does. It probably was at least a decade. And that was super cool. Yeah, that was. Um, and what are what are you drinking today? About soda. Just a splash of lime in it. Just for essence. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:09

And can you tell us a little bit about your career journey? Um, I worked in high school. I worked at the chamber, and one of the ladies there was like, you're really good with people, and you you should be in communications. She kind of explained to me what marketing was and how I should look into that. So I did that. I looked into it. I loved it. I majored in marketing, and then then I had to find a real job, which was terrifying. Yeah. I found one at an electrical engineering like firm. Yeah. No, it was a like a chamber for electrical engineers for the West. But I was like, I'm in marketing for a reason. And it is so I don't have to do math or science. So like I don't know how how am I gonna pick up and like fit in here. Yeah. Um, I learned that I don't have to be the electrical engineer, I just have to learn how to work with them. Um, I I was there for four years, but it just didn't, it

Leaving a job without a plan

SPEAKER_00 3:11

wasn't a fit. So after a while, I realized I needed to take a break um and move on. So I quit without having a job, which was scary. Yeah. But my mom was like, let's go to Florida for a few weeks. So we did that and it was super fun. I came back and realized I probably needed some income to continue living my best life.

unknown 3:32

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 3:33

So I um applied for a bunch of jobs and was lucky enough to land at the current place that I'm at. Um, and I started there in 2010. Again, it was scary. I was working with civil engineers and architecture people and um not my wheelhouse, but the people were great. And the boss that I had, I the one that hired me was wonderful. She had all the faith in me. I was I was there for almost eight years, and then I did went on a new adventure. Um, I felt like at that time I was not sure about my career growth um within the role that I was in.

SPEAKER_02 4:12

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:13

So um I was just looking for something new, and I felt like like if I was going to do something different, that was the time.

SPEAKER_02 4:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

So I did that um and I joined you and did some event planning, which was amazing. Yeah. I also realized that engineers were somehow my jam. Engineers are your people. It's so weird. Um, so I circled

Returning to the workplace that felt like home

SPEAKER_00 4:34

back and went into that world again. I landed at a few different places. Um, those didn't didn't feel like home. And meanwhile, I was close with my boss. She and I were at lunch one day and she's like, okay, so is it time? Are you ready to come back? And I was like, you know, feeling a little tails between, you know, tail between the legs kind of a thing. But then I went back. And um the day that I went back, I got off the elevator and I just kind of took like a breath and was like, oh, I'm I'm home. Like this is where I needed to be. And I was grateful for the time that I left because I learned so much about myself. And now I just I love what I do and the people that I work with, and we continue to grow and it's just so exciting.

SPEAKER_02 5:21

Wow. It proves like the power of relationships, right? And the power of your network and how important that is to not burn bridges. It's so true. And if someone is looking at your career journey, what are they not seeing?

SPEAKER_00 5:35

I'd say now um people probably don't see the tears happy and sad. Yeah. Trying to balance with a family and kids. And if I'm succeeding at one, I feel like I'm failing at another. Yeah. So like I think that that's there. Even though I'll come to work every day with a smile on my face and be happy, I'll come home and I'll try to be as happy as I can, you know, and it in the in between that car raid by myself, sometimes I like I'll get to my destination and realize I didn't even have music on or anything. It was just like in in my head or like thinking about things. Yeah. So, but they're happy tears too, because sometimes I'm like, dang girl, like you crushed it.

SPEAKER_02 6:19

I mean, what they're not seeing is even though you're gonna show up with a smile on your face, like yeah, you're a human living life that is dealing with all kinds of things that people don't know about. Yeah, yeah. I feel that. Um okay, Jam, can you tell me about a time at work when you felt like you truly belonged, or a time when you realized that you did not belong?

Building confidence at work

SPEAKER_00 6:44

I'd say now. Um I feel like I've come into the space of like uh a strong um leader as a strong um co-worker, and um I'm confident in that. And I am confident in my growth. There's so much that I know I can do better at or continue to grow into, and I'm super excited about it. And I feel like I'm like just now hitting my stride. The industry that I'm in, it the leadership is still heavily male. Before I would be like, I don't know if I can tell all of these like really smart engineers that they're not doing things the right way. So I would be like really timid or nervous about it. Yeah. Where now I know that they're professionals and their stuff, but I'm a professional in mine.

SPEAKER_02 7:37

That's right. Yeah. So you're feel like you have a sense of belonging because you're confident in yourself and the work that you do. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. What got you to that?

SPEAKER_00 7:49

Um, I think leaving something that I was good at to try something new made me better. Yeah. Um, it made me realize like where my strengths were and how to use them in the world. Um, and then when you have your friends that are there to be like, oh yeah, girl, like you're gonna do this. Like having um my daughter another day when I got home after my presentation, she was like, Mom, how did you do? And when I told her, she was like clapping and so excited.

SPEAKER_02 8:21

So of course she was.

SPEAKER_00 8:23

So that kind of stuff I think is is powerful. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Yeah. So trying something new and then having a strong community around you to support you.

SPEAKER_00 8:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 8:34

I love that. Um tell me about the best or worst career advice you've ever received and how did that shape you?

SPEAKER_00 8:43

I think the best career advice. I was watching a podcast, I think, one time about the CEO of Was a Pepsi or something. And she's the one who said when she's succeeding at one thing, she's feels like she's failing at the other. Yeah. And that is the truest of the true. And you feel that every single day.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

This what I think is an illusion of work-life balance, right? And that you can't be all things to all people.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

I think that's exactly right. And I and I will say I think the best advice I've ever gotten is really from like my friends and family that are like just be you. Yeah. Yeah. And we're here no matter what. And I've always felt it. It's never like, oh, I can't believe I haven't heard from you. Right. It's like, oh man, you've been so busy doing things like what can we do to help, even? Right. Just little things like that just mean the the most.

SPEAKER_02 9:39

When has self-doubt shown up for you throughout your career?

SPEAKER_00 9:44

I hate my voice. I feel like it sounds like a little kid sometimes. And in a room, when you have to be a powerful voice in that room, get self-conscious about it. And then I think, especially with like a male-dominated workplace, to go in and be like, who's this little girl that's coming in here? And then I have to realize that no, I'm the authority figure. I'm in charge of the room here. I feel like it's so honest and human.

SPEAKER_02 10:14

I mean, it's just like we are we all have our own insecurities and it comes.

SPEAKER_00 10:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Yeah. It really shows itself when you're in a work place.

Overcoming fear of public speaking

SPEAKER_00 10:24

Yeah. And then I also was not comfortable speaking like public speaking for a really long time. How do you push through and how do you move forward, anyways? Um I just did it. Um, I was comfortable after a while. I would be comfortable sitting at a table. Yeah. So I can sit at a table and direct a meeting. For me to stand and have people looking up at me was what was scary. Yeah. And so I was like, okay, I need to figure out how to like get that over that. So I would try to do some of my meetings just standing up, just even though like there it wasn't scripted, there wasn't anything that needed to like direction that needed to happen to get me more comfortable with just being in front of people. Brilliant. And then I tried Toastmasters for a little bit. Just I just would push myself out of my comfort zone.

SPEAKER_02 11:14

Oh, I love that. Intentionally put yourself in situations that are gonna challenge you.

SPEAKER_00 11:20

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Then when you do it, gosh, it's like when you do it, you're like, dang, that was not as bad as I thought. Right. And then you feel so accomplished afterwards. You feel like a superhero.

SPEAKER_02 11:30

Yeah. So and if you just keep doing it, you prove to yourself again and again, I've done it before, I can do it again.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

And then I think of too, like, how can I be a better role model for my kids too? Within that, like if I tell them, I want them to know and learn that I may not have been comfortable in a situation. Yeah. So I worked hard to then change that comfortability and you know, then be good about it.

SPEAKER_02 11:57

Yeah. Try new things. I love it.

SPEAKER_00 11:59

Just I'm gonna stand in a meeting, see how that feels.

SPEAKER_02 12:02

Yeah, yeah. Brilliant. People would be like, why are you standing in here? Then I'd have to make up an excuse. Right. My back hurts, I gotta stand. Yeah, yeah. If you were starting again today, yeah. What, if anything, would you do differently?

SPEAKER_00 12:19

Um, starting work.

SPEAKER_02 12:22

Yeah. If you were starting your career journey today, what would you do it differently, if anything?

SPEAKER_00 12:27

Um, I don't think I would change anything. I've loved the journey that I've been on because it's taught me so much. Yeah. Um I would tell people who may not be good at math and science to not worry. There's still work out there for you. I work with some of the most bright people who are building our bridges, who are designing buildings, like, and they're just as human as we are. Um, I wouldn't change anything. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 12:59

Appreciating the journey you're on for what it is. And that's made you who you are today. Are you up for a lightning round? Mm-hmm. Totally. Couldn't be more ready. Well, okay, so the the rules of a lightning round are it's meant to be fast. So first thing that comes to your mind, don't overthink it. Got it. Um, and all the questions I'm asking you are work-related. So just keep that lens in mind. Okay. In person or virtual? In person. Standing or sitting desk? Standing. Um biggest workplace pet peeve. The jargon. Least favorite office jargon. I'm gonna circle back to first in or last out. First in. And what would young Jamie say if she saw you today?

SPEAKER_03 14:02

Go girl. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 14:05

Yeah. Yeah. So cute. Yeah. Okay, my last question. Yeah for you. What

Learning to enjoy everyday life

SPEAKER_02 14:11

is bringing you joy these days?

SPEAKER_00 14:12

This is like so cliche. But everything, um, I think that I've learned to put stress away. Stress isn't helping anybody. It doesn't help me, it doesn't help the people I'm stressing about. So I uh I just love every day. I take it um for what it is and like the things that happen throughout the day. Can't stress out about it. But if anything, I'm like, okay, it's just an opportunity for for growth, for uh for tears, like whatever, whatever happens. But I just I love every day.

SPEAKER_01 14:52

And for those that are curious, how the hell do you put stress away?

SPEAKER_00 14:58

I think I'm just getting older and realizing that it does nothing for me. Am I stressed out about things? Yeah, but instead of stressing about it, like how do we just navigate through that?

SPEAKER_02 15:09

There's something to be celebrated every day.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Every day. Like the can be little wins. Harper came home the other day and had that note from her friend, and that when her friend was feeling not included, that she just helped. I felt like um a good parent. I was like, I feel like I taught her that inclusion matters, kindness matters. Yeah. So like that was the win.

SPEAKER_02 15:42

I love it. Yeah, it's beautiful, sweet.

Final reflections + closing toast

SPEAKER_02 15:45

Well, uh one thing I'm taking away from this conversation is just enjoy the moment and and being where you are and being human is real, and just that is what makes you you. So just be you. Yeah. Okay, Jamie, we're gonna do a toast to close us out. Do you have a favorite toast that you like to do?

SPEAKER_00 16:08

Um maybe like a countdown?

SPEAKER_02 16:11

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 16:11

Yeah, yeah. I think you know. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

In five, four, three, two, lunch, bad shit. Cheers. I love it. Me too. Um thanks for having me. Thank you so much. Thank you for joining me, courtside listeners. I hope you enjoyed that conversation just as much as I did. And if anything you heard resonated with you, please do share this with someone that you love. They may need to hear it more than you know. And if you and I are not yet connected on LinkedIn, please come say hi. I'd love, I'd love to connect. And until next time, take good care. I'll see you courtside. Cheers. Cheers.